How do I get my wife to the UK?

Olly123 · Post by **Olly123** » Mon Apr 18, 2011 3:31 am

Hey everyone, Im new to this forum, and just had a question for you all, and was hoping for any help whatsoever.

I am a UK citizen, and I live with my wife(US citizen) in the US. We are planning on working and living in the UK for a year. We plan to do this in December. We will have been married for one year by this time comes.

My question is, how do we do this, and how will she be able to work in the UK during this year?

Any help would be amazing, as we are both very stuck and confused about this!

Hope all is well!

Post by **geriatrix** » Mon Apr 18, 2011 4:33 am

Settlement visa as spouse of a British citizen.
Supporting documents
Settlement (SET)
Maintenance and accommodation
3rd Party Support & Accommodation
Search the forum for information already available.

No restriction on employment when in UK on a spouse visa.

Olly123 · Post by **Olly123** » Mon Apr 18, 2011 4:06 pm

Hey, thanks for your response. So even if we are only staying there for a year, we still have to do the settlement visa? Is there a fee for this, and do you know if it's a long process? I read up on the settlement visa and it says that I have to be already there. That won't be the case as we are going there together on our savings and then finding employment. Any help would be grateful.
Thank you so much!

Post by **geriatrix** » Mon Apr 18, 2011 4:28 pm

Olly123 wrote:So even if we are only staying there for a year, we still have to do the settlement visa?

Visitor visa allows 6 month stay in UK, and no employment permitted. And unless she has an employer who can sponsor a Tier 2 application for her, the only available option is settlement visa.

Olly123 wrote:Is there a fee for this

Yes. See WorldBridge website

Olly123 wrote:do you know if it's a long process?

See Guide to visa processing times.

You both may travel together to the UK (you don't have to be in UK beforehand), but you'll need to provide evidence(s) in line with the requirements (read the information given in the links in my response above).

Olly123 · Post by **Olly123** » Mon Apr 18, 2011 4:41 pm

Thank you so much for the info. It is a bit clearer now. I have one more question. When I was looking at the fees, there was something called a visit visa- 2years. Do you know what this is?
You have been great!

Post by **MPH80** » Mon Apr 18, 2011 5:01 pm

It's a visit visa with a validity of 2 years.

You're still only allowed to stay 6 months in any 12 (e.g. maximum of 1 year in the UK spread over the 2 years - and not in one block) and still not allowed to work.

M.

Olly123 · Post by **Olly123** » Mon Apr 18, 2011 5:23 pm

Thank you so much for your responses. It is clearer now. So just to summarise, the only way my wife and myself can stay in the UK for a year, and both be able to work is by getting the settlement visa? I was hoping for something a little easier and straightforward. But hey, when is it ever! haha!

If someone could clear this for me, that would be amazing

Thankyou so much!

Post by **geriatrix** » Mon Apr 18, 2011 6:58 pm

Olly123 wrote:So just to summarise, the only way my wife and myself can stay in the UK for a year, and both be able to work is by getting the settlement visa? I was hoping for something a little easier and straightforward. But hey, when is it ever! haha!

If someone could clear this for me, that would be amazing

Thankyou so much!

sushdmehta wrote:Visitor visa allows 6 month stay in UK, and no employment permitted. And unless she has an employer who can sponsor a Tier 2 application for her, the only available option is settlement visa.

Post by **Casa** » Mon Apr 18, 2011 9:10 pm

You've been given the advice you need. You'll have to consider how you'll meet the conditions for a settlement visa...finance and accommodation.

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How do I get my wife to the UK?

How do I get my wife to the UK?